This homemade instant pot apple butter recipe is so simple to make and delicious! When the apples come in this fall, make sure to add apple butter to your To-Do List!!

Several mason jars of apple butter sitting on a grey towel on the kitchen counter.

Fall eating should always include something with apple butter on or in it! The spices add warmth to dishes that make it ideal for fall and winter cooking and eating.

Who can resist the lovely fragrance of apples simmering away? The kitchen smells so good with the apples and all the warm spices used to make this apple butter. I’m sure you’re going to love it, too!

Apple butter is delicious on sandwiches and biscuits or toast but our favorite way to eat it is stirred into some hot oatmeal. We add some mashed banana and apple butter to every batch of plain oatmeal and it’s simply THE BEST!

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Making Instant Pot Apple Butter

This recipe is very versatile and you can adjust the seasonings to your taste, but I’ll give you a slightly sweet and moderately spicy apple butter recipe.

You can make apple butter in a crock pot but my favorite way to make it is by using my instant pot.

I don’t recommend using this recipe on a stove because it needs to cook for 30 hours and it’s not a good idea to have your stove going when you’re asleep. Plus, it’s fussy to keep your apple butter from scorching at the bottom.

Before I got my instant pot, I used to make apple butter in my big crock pot. It turned out great each time I made it, so if you don’t have an instant pot, the recipe is the same for using a crock pot.

Ingredients

An instant pot with cut apples filling it, a glass canister of organic sugar, and glass mason jars of ceylon cinnamon, ground cloves, and ground allspice sitting on the kitchen counter.

Apples – You’ll need about 25 to 30 medium-sized apples to start with and more for later. It’ll be worthwhile to use a variety of apples to get a greater depth of flavor but use what you can get. Golden Delicious and Jonagold or Gala pair well together.

Sugar – Use cane sugar or brown sugar for this recipe.

Ground Cinnamon – Ceylon cinnamon is the best but use what you have on hand.

Ground Allspice – This spice is aromatic and warm with a nice kick for apple butter.

Ground Cloves – Cloves are sweet with undertones of pepper and camphor…perfect for apple butter.

Tools you may need

Instant Pot or Crock Pot

Measuring Cups

Measuring Spoons

Immersion Blender

Long, Wooden Spoon

Spatula

Instructions for Making Instant Pot Apple Butter

First, get out your ingredients for the apple butter.

Wash, core (save your scraps for making apple scrap vinegar or reduced-sugar apple jelly and even cranapple jelly), and chop enough apples to fill up your instant pot. I leave the peel on the apples because that’s where most of the nutrients are. Once it’s blended up, the peels almost disappear!

Also, don’t add any water regardless of if you’re using a crock pot or an instant pot. The juice from the apples will be released during the slow cooking process.

Then add 2 cups of sugar, 2 tablespoons of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of ground cloves, and 1 teaspoon of ground allspice. Mix well with a wooden spoon or spatula.

Add your lid to your instant pot, push the “crock pot” or “slow cook” button, set the heat to “low,” set the timer for 10 hours, and then set your lid to “vent” mode. The “keep warm” option on your instant pot should also be on just in case you’re busy (or sleeping) 10 hours after you do this step.

10 Hours Later…

After 10 hours, take your lid off and give your apples a stir.

An instant pot with soft apple butter cooking inside.

The apples should be starting to soften and cook down.

Go ahead and add more washed, cored, and cut apples to fill your instant pot back up again. Alternatively, if you have leftover apple pulp from making apple juice and apple jelly, you can add your apple pulp to your pot.

Taste your apple butter and add more spices to taste. I personally like to add another 1 tablespoon of cinnamon, 1 teaspoon of cloves, and 1 teaspoon of allspice. I don’t add more sugar.

Add your lid and set your timer for another 10 hours on “low.”

20 Hours In…

When your timer goes off again (20 hours into the process), take your lid off and give your apples a stir. Add more apples or apple pulp to fill your pot back up one more time. Then add additional spices to taste.

Set your timer for another 10 hours on “low.”

30 Hours In…

When your timer goes off again (30 hours into the process), take your lid off and give your apples a stir. If your pot is still basically full, you won’t need to add any more apples or apple pulp.

Use your immersion blender and blend up your softened apples into apple butter.

An instant pot filled with apple butter has a white an immersion blender inside blending it up.

Your apples should be very soft and blend easily with your immersion blender. Be careful not to overblend or it’ll turn into a liquid.

There shouldn’t be too much liquid in your pot after this process, either. However, if you find a lot of juice is still in your pot, continue cooking down your apples for another 5 to 10 hours with the lid vented until it’s the thickness and consistency that you want.

Alternatively, if your apple butter is too dry, you can add water or apple juice until it’s the thickness and consistency that you want.

Taste your finished apple butter and add more spices and sugar, if necessary. And that’s it!

And just FYI, this is exactly the same way I make applesauce! Only…without the extra spices.

If you try this recipe and love it, I would love if you gave it 5 stars! Also, tag me on Instagram @rivers.family.farm.

Recipe Card for Apple Butter

Apple Butter

This homemade instant pot apple butter recipe is so simple to make and delicious! Fall eating should always include something with apple butter on or in it!! The spices add warmth to dishes that make it ideal for fall and winter cooking and eating.

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 1 6